The invention disclosed herein relates generally to support structures within electronic devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a shim assembly for supporting removable hardware modules inserted into a printed circuit board.
Printed circuit boards used in electronic devices are configured to accept other components or modules in addition to a microprocessor. For example, the logic boards found in most modern computers comprise an expansion bus to which printed circuit cards may be attached, thereby expanding the functionality of the device. Similarly, certain computing devices are configured to allow for expansion of the device's functionality through the use of hardware modules that are attached or otherwise inserted into the device where they couple to the circuitry within the device, thereby providing communication between the module and device.
FIG. 1 presents an exemplary hardware module, in this case a Xenpak swappable optical transceiver, inserted into a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board 102, of which a bottom view is illustrated, is attached to a chassis 104. The chassis 104 and printed circuit board 102 are inserted into a housing (not pictured) that provides means for the printed circuit board to communication with other hardware components. The printed circuit board 102 has a slot into which a swappable hardware module 106 is inserted, e.g., a Xenpak optical transceiver. Unfortunately, the hardware module 106 hangs below the bottom side of the printed circuit board 102 when inserted into the slot.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, when inserted into the chassis 104 two edges 108 and 110 of the bottom side of the hardware module 106 do not lie flush with the bottom of the printed circuit board 102. When the printed circuit board is inserted into another electronic device, such as a chassis that accepts other printed circuit boards that provide electronic communication via a swappable hardware module, the hardware module potentially comes into contact with adjacent printed circuit boards, thereby damaging or otherwise interfering with them. Furthermore, because of its size and orientation, the hardware module 106 protrudes beyond the bottom of its slot outside the chassis 104. Simply raising the hardware module 106 within the chassis 104 results in inadequate support of the hardware module 106 vis-à-vis the printed circuit board 102, which similarly tends to result in potentially significant damage to circuitry on the printed circuit board 102 or to the hardware module itself 106.
Thus, a solution is required that provides support for a hardware module when inserted within an electronic device. More specifically, the required solution supports the hardware module to prevent it from materially extending past a bottom side of the printed circuit board. By preventing the hardware module from materially extending past a bottom side of the printed circuit board, the solution of the present invention, prevents damage of other circuitry or components located near the bottom side of the printed circuit board, such as other, adjacent printed circuit boards installed in a common chassis. Additionally, this solution provides for unimpeded adequate airflow across the bottom of the printed circuit board.